Die Fantastischen Vier, often abbreviated as Fanta 4, are a German hip-hop group from Stuttgart. The group consists of Michael Bernd Schmidt (Smudo), Thomas Dürr (Thomas D), Michael Beck (Michi Beck, also known as Dee Jot Hausmarke), and producer Andreas Rieke (And.Ypsilon). Their manager since 1989 has been Andreas Läsker. The origins of the group date back to the mid-1980s when Schmidt and Rieke formed the Terminal Team. In 1989, Beck and Dürr joined, and the four made their first public appearance as Die Fantastischen Vier on July 7, 1989, performing on a stage made of pallets in a former kindergarten in Stuttgart-Wangen. In 1991, their track "Jetzt geht’s ab" appeared on the German hip-hop compilation "Krauts with Attitude". The group became the first hip-hop act to gain nationwide attention in Germany with German-language rapping, referred to by the band as "deutscher Sprechgesang". Although Advanced Chemistry is recognized as one of the earliest German-language hip-hop groups, Die Fantastischen Vier achieved their first chart success in 1992 with the single "Die da!?!", which helped popularize the genre across Germany. Members also pursued solo projects and appeared on the weekly TV show "Die Vierte Dimension" on Premiere in 1993–1994. The 1995 album "Lauschgift" included the single "Sie ist weg", which reached number one on the German charts. In 1996, the group founded their own label, Four Music, based in Berlin, after relocating from Stuttgart. Their fifth studio album, "4:99", released in April 1999 on Four Music, reached number one in Germany and included four singles, including "MfG – Mit freundlichen Grüßen" and three others associated with individual members: "Le Smou" (Smudo), "Michi Beck in Hell" (Michi Beck), and "Buenos Dias Messias" (Thomas D). In 2000, the group recorded an MTV Unplugged album in the Balver Höhle. In September 2004, they released the album "Viel", followed by the "VIEL-Unterwegs" tour. A live DVD, "Viel Live", was released in 2005, along with the best-of compilation "Best of 1990–2005", which included rare early recordings from their Terminal Team era. The members also provided German voices for the films "Madagascar", "Madagascar 2", and "Madagascar 3". The 2007 album "Fornika" was promoted with the singles "Ernten, was wir säen", "Einfach sein", and "Ichisichisichisich", accompanied by club and arena tours across Europe. A live DVD and the single "Yeah Yeah Yeah" followed in 2008. In 2009, the group received the Paul-Lincke-Ring from the city of Goslar for their contributions to German-language rap and celebrated their 20th anniversary with the "Heimspiel" concert, accompanied by the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra from Minsk. Tribute albums and releases such as "Für dich immer noch Fanta Sie" followed in 2010, achieving gold certification. Die Fantastischen Vier continued releasing albums, including "Rekord" (2014), "Vier und jetzt (Best of 1990–2015)" (2015), "Captain Fantastic" (2018), and "The Liechtenstein Tapes" (2023), which featured reworked versions of older hits. They have participated as coaches on "The Voice of Germany" and "The Voice Kids" and were involved in charity projects such as Band Aid Germany. In 2022, the group collaborated with Bosch for the LikeABosch campaign. Their latest album, "Long Player", was released on October 4, 2024, preceded by the single "Wie Weit" on August 16, 2024. The band announced a final live tour titled "Der letzte Bus" scheduled for 2026–2028, after which they intend to cease live performances while continuing as a group. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Fantastischen_Vier Studio albums Jetzt geht’s ab ("Here We Go", 1991) 4 gewinnt ("4 Wins", 1992) Die 4. Dimension ("The 4th Dimension", 1993) Lauschgift ("Eavesdropping Drug", 1995) 4:99 (1999) Viel ("Plenty", 2004) Fornika (2007) Für dich immer noch Fanta Sie ("Still Fanta 4 for You", 2010) Rekord ("Record", 2014) Captain Fantastic (2018) Long Player (2024) <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Die+Fantastischen+Vier">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.